I was appalled to read that the Redfern Waterloo Authority
is planning to sell this important community site for residential development.
This hospital site which has been run down and now abandoned by CSAHS is the
perfectly situated to be developed for Mental, Respite and Convalescent Care
for this Community. We have so many people with Mental Health Problems whose
hospital care comes in Long
Bay and all we have a
Mental Health Outpatients Care in the Redfern Community Health Clinic that
remains on the Rachel Forster site. Are we now to lose this facility as well? I
would have thought that the publicity generated by the deaths of lonely people
in Public Housing, especially where their bodies were not found for weeks or
months, would have shown even the Redfern Waterloo Authority that this area
needs more community health care – not less! This last month, even John Howard
has recognized that the Mental Heath Crisis needs action. Please, redevelop
this site for the community. Look at the demographics! We need Mental Health
Care, we need Respite
Care for Carers and we need Convalescent Beds so that lonely
sick people do not get sent out of hospital after their ‘short stay’’ to die
alone!
Anne Giles
Redfern